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Infant dies days after Charlotte worship leader, family involved in crash that killed brother

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Updated: 7:04 PM EDT May 26, 2015

Infant dies days after Charlotte worship leader, family involved in crash that killed brother

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Updated: 7:04 PM EDT May 26, 2015

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) —

A newborn baby, born after his mother was forced to undergo an emergency C-Section following a crash that killed his brother, has died from his injuries.

Baby Reed's family was involved in a crash around noon on Saturday in Pender County along Highway 17, near Wilmington. Investigators say a commercial box truck was approaching, stopped traffic, and failed to stop in time, resulting in a chain-reaction crash.

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Reed is the son of Gentry Eddings, a worship leader at Forest Hill Church in south Charlotte.

Eddings' two-year-old son, Dobbs, was killed in the crash.

"They were at a stop light and an 18 wheeler rear ended them," Forest Hill Pastor David Chadwick told church members Sunday. "Sadly, Dobbs, the two-year-old little boy, was killed, and by the time they were able to get him out of the smashed up car, he was gone to be with Jesus."

According to District Attorney Ben David, the driver of the truck, Matthew Deans, 28 of Wilmington, has been charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and failure to reduce speed. David says more charges are pending.

Gentry and his wife, Hadley, were both injured and rushed to the hospital. Hadley underwent an emergency c-section in an attempt to save baby Reed's life.

"Reed passed away yesterday in Chapel Hill with inoperable injuries sustained from a severe car accident outside of Wilmington on Saturday afternoon," a statement from the church Tuesday morning. "He was delivered via emergency C-section at 38 weeks following the wreck. Reed joins his big brother, two-year-old Dobbs, who was killed in the crash."

According to the church, Gentry has been released from the hospital and Hadley is still recovering from her injuries and caesarian section.

He wrote,"Gentry and Hadley are beloved by us all...He is a man of enormous integrity. They both possess a deep faith. But it will be challenged in the days and weeks to come like no other time."

"Please join me in deep prayer for their recovery and well-being. The best thing you can do for them is love them. Be Jesus' presence to them. We don't know why this happened," Chadwick wrote. "It will be a mystery on this side of eternity. The eternal reason is shrouded in the heart of the heavenly Father. The apostle Paul said we look through a mirror dimly on this side of eternity. In situations like this one, this is especially true."